Mary, I was also at Eastwood this evening. I can confirm that there were 2 female red-breasted mergansers present, as well as 3 horned grebes that were almost in full breeding plumage. Also present were about 6-8 common loons, in various stages of molt into breeding plumage. There was a very interesting common loon which appeared to have a gray nape because of molt pattern, so I would warn anyone who goes tomorrow to be extra careful. I stayed from about 6pm until dusk and did not see the PALO. Steve Landes Sent from my iPhone On Apr 25, 2012, at 7:54 PM, Mary <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Wed a little after 6:00 PM I went look for the Pacific Loon. I looked by > the boat ramp and found 2 Loons but before I could get out of the car and > down with my rather beat up scope one seemedin to have taken off toward the > other end of the Lake. I looked at the remaining Loon, it was a Common > Loon, full adult. I also saw a male Horned Grebe which was pretty exciting > as I rarely (never?) have seen one and love Grebes. After bit I went down > the other end of the Lake. I found a Loon and while I was trying to figure > it out up pops a second one. They were not easily id'd as they seem to be > juveniles? Neither were in full easily id'ed plumage. Honestly I'm not > sure which they were, I don't trust my id skills for juveniles. I only had > one id book with me and the light was soft. I thought one of them was > Common because of the identation of the white on the front of its neck. > A woman also looking talked to a gentleman who showed her a picture he had > taken earlier and she said it was definately a Pacific. > I went back down to the boat ramp, Common Loon still there. Couldn't > find the Horned Grebe but ta da there were two Mergansers. > I looked and looked they were fairly uniformaly brownish grey,with a white > flash at the flanks, orange beaks, the heads were reddish with dark smokey > color starting around the eyes and into a sparse and spikey crest. The > front of the necks were not at all white but a light brownish. Before I > left they actually came pretty close to shore. Looking at a couple more ID > books I think they were female Red Breasted Mergansers although I realize > that seems sort of unlikely. The white flash would indicate a female Common > Merganser but the bill and everything looked Red Breast to me. There were a > few other people there but no one seemed interested, they were just looking > for the PL. > Would love to go tomorrow the same time as someone more experienced and > better than me. > > Mary, Fairborn/Dayton > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]